Preview 2025 Rd 3 Carlton vs Western Bulldogs Friday 28th March 7:40PM AEDT @ Marvel Stadium

[Aphrodite]

Team is in …

AFL team news: Blues recall two

The Blues have made two changes for the Round 3 clash with the Western Bulldogs.

www.carltonfc.com.au

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[Tysthefox]

I really hope the players saw that vision showed on First Crack by Kingy about our forward 50 entries, I agree we are only an extra handball away from some better outcomes. So many times were are bombing the ball long and it never works / our smalls are not good enough to crumb it, there is clearly players available to overlap and get another posession / take more ground and enter the forward 50 from the flank / CHF as opposed to the wing.

Best I could tell it only worked once when Saad found Williams in a better position than Jaith. Hopefully Boyd can come in and proide a little more accuracy in our passing game

 

[CarmenSandiego]

Having met Walsh on a few occasions he is a relaxed and confident young man. Either way let's hope he gets back to his damaging best.
I wonder what the injuries he's incurred over the past 3 years and the impact this is having?

I think with Walsh, he's learning just how ****ing hard AFL footy is. I'll paint a picture.

• Best footy player for his age in Geelong since he started playing
• Most popular kid in town
• School captain
• TAC Cup/Falcons captain
• #1 pick
• Adapted to AFL in just his first few games.

First few seasons are a breeze for him (not for a second suggesting he didn't work hard to achieve all this), then come injuries, tags, external & internal pressure, trying to be a leader, more injuries, overtraining, blinks 'shit im 6 years into my career now'.

He's now dealing with all of the above whilst trying to get back to his best. It ain't easy. We will see what he's made of over the next 2-3 years.

 

[JimmyRabbit49]

I saw that Lloyd segment. For a guy with his limited mental capacity I guess it wasn't a bad try. Lloyd is saying Cripps (a slower inside mid) was going to catch Watson (one of the fastest players on the ground) in open space if he hadn't been in the ruck a bit earlier?

Either way - big picture - if you had to pick out 1 thing to focus on, as Lloyd did, is this our problem?

For me I'd say the main problem Carlton has is the way they bomb the ball into the forward 50 to the opposition and panic when they kick the ball out of defense. Whether or not Cripps wrestles a ruckman instead of wrestling a tagger a few times a game is completely irrelevant.

Yep - and really how much more fatiguing can it be to wrestle a ruckman than wrestle a midfielder at those stoppages

 

[AndyLucimitis]

I saw that Lloyd segment. For a guy with his limited mental capacity I guess it wasn't a bad try. Lloyd is saying Cripps (a slower inside mid) was going to catch Watson (one of the fastest players on the ground) in open space if he hadn't been in the ruck a bit earlier?

I listen to a fair bit of Matthew Lloyd (on 3AW etc.). He might sound dumb ...but he isn't.

I've actually found him to be one of the most astute pundits in the footy media. I mightn't always like what he says - and once his brother leaves Carton he will be more scathing I think - but he has a nasty habit of being spot on with his observations.

 

[TheBlueCampaigner]

Bring Boyd in and if his body holds up leave him in for a block of time.

 

[bigblueboy]

This is exactly it. Cripps has been in our top 2 both games, he's top 2 in the comp for clearances and top 5 for contested possessions.

Cripps playing second ruck is the least of our problems, especially when it's against Weddle. Us supporters and the media are scattergunning, supposedly everything the club is doing is wrong at the moment.

You'd hope those within the 4 walls are being much more methodical about what's real and what's noise...

Hard to find any positives form the Richmond debacle but there were some good signs last week.
Things can turn quickly.

 

[JJBagger]

Hard to find any positives form the Richmond debacle but there were some good signs last week.
Things can turn quickly.

A couple of extra handballs and targets hit by foot in transition chains, and we could be back on. All it can take is a few good passages of play, then confidence is up, and things click. I'm happy to wait and see

 

[Chemical]

I listen to a fair bit of Matthew Lloyd (on 3AW etc.). He might sound dumb ...but he isn't.

I've actually found him to be one of the most astute pundits in the footy media. I mightn't always like what he says - and once his brother leaves Carton he will be more scathing I think - but he has a nasty habit of being spot on with his observations.

Agreed. He is one of the good people in the AFL media landscape. Seems to be respectful as well and doesn't make up shit like the rest of them.

 

[Chemical]

Carlton by 65

 

[The Bighouse]

I think with Walsh, he's learning just how ****ing hard AFL footy is. I'll paint a picture.

• Best footy player for his age in Geelong since he started playing
• Most popular kid in town
• School captain
• TAC Cup/Falcons captain
• #1 pick
• Adapted to AFL in just his first few games.

First few seasons are a breeze for him (not for a second suggesting he didn't work hard to achieve all this), then come injuries, tags, external & internal pressure, trying to be a leader, more injuries, overtraining, blinks 'shit im 6 years into my career now'.

He's now dealing with all of the above whilst trying to get back to his best. It ain't easy. We will see what he's made of over the next 2-3 years.

Coupled with HTB rule-change which he has not adjusted to and that his disposal is not a strong point, he’s looking at mediocrity in the face whilst dealing with his body failing him.

How he deals with these will determine what level he can provide moving forward. A pretty resolute bloke however.

He needs regular sessions of the Diesel Masterclass in the skills department and would be providing him with more room to move to utilise his running & get him outside the contest (away from tacklers). Lower your eyes and remove the dump kick as his default/turnovers/wasted possessions + don’t call for the ball when you’re in a poor field position (selfishness to be removed as well).

 

[Turnover Goal]

I think with Walsh, he's learning just how ****ing hard AFL footy is. I'll paint a picture.

• Best footy player for his age in Geelong since he started playing
• Most popular kid in town
• School captain
• TAC Cup/Falcons captain
• #1 pick
• Adapted to AFL in just his first few games.

First few seasons are a breeze for him (not for a second suggesting he didn't work hard to achieve all this), then come injuries, tags, external & internal pressure, trying to be a leader, more injuries, overtraining, blinks 'shit im 6 years into my career now'.

He's now dealing with all of the above whilst trying to get back to his best. It ain't easy. We will see what he's made of over the next 2-3 years.

His back is ****ed mate

 

[marcmurphy3]

For all the talk of team success I think what would burn Walsh the most is the fact he isn't where he'd like to be as an individual player.

He comes across as an immensely competitive person. Confident too. I think in his mind he believes he capable of being as good as Daicos, Butters, Petracca ect. The fact he is a mile off them and has been surpassed by most the top end mids in his draft class would frustrate him immensely, whether it's injury related or not. If it is because of injuries times that frustration by 10.

He would know he's in his prime too and the clock is ticking if he is going to achieve the type of legacy he'd hoped for. Right now it's not looking great but he still has time.

 

[CarmenSandiego]

His back is ****ed mate

how bad?

 

[Turnover Goal]

how bad?

Struggles to be out there mate...He had the best preseason he ever had prior to hurting it a couple of years ago. Has just been managed with 70-80% of his full movement.

 

[Pinnell]

Struggles to be out there mate...He had the best preseason he ever had prior to hurting it a couple of years ago. Has just been managed with 70-80% of his full movement.

Yet another reason for sending him to the wing

 

[Lukeblueboy]

His back is ****ed mate

He’s definitely lost some power and spread from the contest.
I’m hoping it’s not coming from his back issues. Hopefully it’s more from lack of preseason training/injury interruptions over the last couple of years and he just needs a decent run at it.

 

[swuzzlebubble]

My crack
Assuming H & C not getting up.

In Boyd, White, Moir, Carroll
Out: Curnow, Cowan, Haynes, Lucas

Get some drive out of the backline with Boyd Saad Williams and Carroll plus Gov can kick as good as any

FB: Boyd Young McGovern
HB: Williams Weitering Saad
C: Walsh Cripps Ollie
HF: Fogarty Kemp Cottrell
FF: Motlop Silvagni White
FOL: TDK Hewett Cerra
INT: Carroll Acres Lord Moir
SUB: Docherty

 

[carlton_99]

My crack
H & C not getting up.

In Boyd, White, Moir, Carroll
Out: Curnow, Cowan, Haynes, Lucas

Get some drive out of the backline with Boyd Saad Williams and Carroll plus Gov can kick as good as any

FB: Boyd Young McGovern
HB: Williams Weitering Saad
C: Walsh Cripps Ollie
HF: Fogarty Kemp Cottrell
FF: Motlop Silvagni White
FOL: TDK Hewett Cerra
INT: Carroll Acres Lord Moir
SUB: Docherty

Is Charlie out?

 

[swuzzlebubble]

Is Charlie out?

No but I reckon he's not right.
Injury or underdone not sure and I doubt he turns it around since last week

 

[Rustica]

Harry out this Friday according to Paul Sebastiani on X

 

[sparkybagger]

His back is ****ed mate

This. I have a similar back injury and was offered the same surgery. Granted I'm more than two decades older and not a professional athlete, but there was no chance in hell I was going to go under the knife as long as I have other options like intense rehab strength training. My neurosurgeon said that surgery is hit or miss, so I gave it a wide berth and hit the rehab gym.

The footage of Walsh kicking the ball off the ground into our forward line instead of picking if off the ground when he had time and space to do so tells me his back is in bad shape. Even if he is not in pain he looks like his flexibility has taken a massive hit. Everything seems forced and rushed instead of fluid.

 

[JimmyRabbit49]

Posted this elsewhere but thought it relevant here;
Currently we are 3rd in the league for inside 50's averaging just under 30, 3rd in contested possessions, 2nd in clearances, number 1 for intercepts, 2nd for tackles, 3rd for inside 50 tackles, first for 1%ers & we have "won" both games "expected score- I really don't think the players are confused on the game plan, that they are 100% committed or the game plan is not working".

The problem is we are dead last for disposal efficiency (64.6%), number 1 for turnovers and 14th for marks inside 50 - basic execution is what is letting us down - just getting back to the league average on DE and turnovers this week and we are a massive chance

 

[DamoESP]

I really hope the players saw that vision showed on First Crack by Kingy about our forward 50 entries, I agree we are only an extra handball away from some better outcomes. So many times were are bombing the ball long and it never works / our smalls are not good enough to crumb it, there is clearly players available to overlap and get another posession / take more ground and enter the forward 50 from the flank / CHF as opposed to the wing.

Best I could tell it only worked once when Saad found Williams in a better position than Jaith. Hopefully Boyd can come in and proide a little more accuracy in our passing game

I hope they did too, but the unfortunate thing is, after the Hawks game when Voss was asked about our inability to run out games etc and he started to use our i50 numbers as a reason as to why there wasn't an issue........if thats the thinking coming from our head coach (Quantity over Quality) then it kind of all starts to make sense as to why the same issues pop up every single week with this playing group.... bombing it long and high into our F50

 

[Jimmae]

He's got a bad case of the yips in front of goal

Also has a history of groin issues, which may have flared again with the knee issues.

Using the snap technique puts less strain on typical groin issues from footy, and gets power the hip and associated muscles, much like a goalie kick (a technique which many defenders now use to clear a zone).

 

[Pablito]

Bring in McMahon....oh wait